Braces and Your Next Office Visit

Posted June 30, 2017.

Dental cleanings with braces can be quite overwhelming, which is why many people skip their cleanings altogether while they have their braces. This is a big mistake, since plaque and tartar build up around the braces, promoting tooth decay and gum disease. Without a professional cleaning, your smile can be in trouble. So, make sure you schedule your routine cleaning and exam every six months.

During the cleaning, your hygienist will use special tools and techniques to deeply clean the surfaces of your teeth. When working around your brackets and other braces hardware, they will remove the plaque and other substances that can harm your smile.

Once the surfaces of the teeth are clean, your hygienist will floss the crevices of the smile. To floss your teeth, they will use a special looped tool to thread the floss through the space between the tooth and the braces wire. Next, they will use a sawing motion to send the floss between your teeth. The hygienist will rub the floss against the sides of each tooth and along the gumline to eliminate the plaque and food particles that reside there.

Your appointment should also include a thorough examination (which might involve taking X-rays) and a fluoride treatment, if necessary. To learn more about your upcoming dental cleaning with braces in Farmington, New Mexico, please call Orthodontics, Inc. at (505) 325-8858 and talk to Dr. Joseph A. Wilson or a member of our orthodontic team.